One would presume that a Formula One team, and certainly its sponsors would be falling over itself when approached by a leading, and highly respected, Sunday newspaper, asking for an exclusive interview with its new driver.

Having arranged the interview, at the team's state of the art HQ, it was only right that the newspaper ask for a couple of photographs to accompany the article, At which point things get silly.

The Formula One team isn't happy about anyone taking pictures in its facility and suggests that the large amount of glass used in the construction could endanger the life of the photographer. Therefore, the team insists on the photographer signing a waiver declaring that he has no rights to sue, in the event of an accident. On the other hand, should an errant employee, far less the team principal, trip over a cable, the team would have the right to sue the photographer for compensation.

To add insult to injury, the team then demands that it is given copies of the pictures within seven days in addition to the world copyright.

If all the F1 teams were to adopt such a precedent there would be no point in anyone taking pictures as the photographer and his employer would be signing away their rights.

In the end, the distinguished Sunday newspaper decided that it really wasn't worth all the bother, and called on Ferrari. The Italian team told the newspaper that its journalist and photographer will be most welcome at Barcelona this weekend, where Michael Schumacher will be on hand and happy to answer questions and pose for pictures... copyright free.

Therefore, Ferrari and its sponsors gets a nice spread, and pictures, in the Sunday paper, while the other team gets nothing, other than a reputation for being a law unto itself.

Utter madness.